Before working at BYU, I was a leadership coach and an employee engagement consultant for an international consulting firm. In doing this, I had the opportunity to interact with many different organizational cultures and leaders. As part of this work, I reviewed thousands of engagement survey results and created action plans to suggest improvements. Based on my experiences, I offer a few suggestions for leaders to help increase your employees’ engagement and energize your workforce.
Get to know your employees on an individual level. Leaders who make continuous efforts to get to know employees individually will garner employees who feel valued and work harder. Patrick Lencioni states, “When a manager takes the time to get to know his or her employee, they give them a sense they matter.” This is a driver of employee engagement. The feeling of anonymity and invisibility within a workplace has the opposite effect for employees.
Provide training and growth opportunities. Employees cannot be engaged if they do not know how to do the job. “Many employers are reluctant to invest time and money into training or mentoring staff. But they don’t realize that the initial investment pays off in the end,” said Amy Osmond Cook, vice-president of marketing at Simplus. Growth matters for engagement and motivation. When employees feel like they are given the opportunity to grow within an organization, their engagement increases.
Consistently recognize employee achievements and act on feedback. Employees want to feel like their work is valued and appreciated. It only takes a moment to recognize achievement. A good rule of thumb is: if you think it, speak it. Employees also need to receive timely feedback on areas of improvement so they can correct behaviors and become successful again.
Encourage collaboration and create a sense of belonging. Employees want to feel like they are part of something that matters, and they want to contribute their skills to the common cause. Collaboration creates a team bond that can solidify the feeling of connection. When employees feel that they belong and that they have a personal connection to the organization—its mission and values—employee engagement and loyalty to the organization increases.
Articulate a clear purpose and lead with trust and respect for all. Research is clear that an engaged leader fosters an engaged team. In other words, if you want a more engaged team, be more engaged as a leader. Employees get excited about the work when leaders are excited and passionate about it. When this is layered on top of a foundation of trust and respect, teams thrive.
Studies show that people leave managers, not companies. Ensuring that managers are actively participating in and managing employee engagement is paramount1. “What you believe about employees comes out in how you treat them. And how you treat them ultimately determines how effectively you engage them.”2 This is key to understanding employment engagement.